The Government of Uganda has taken a decisive step toward domesticating and ratifying the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Protocol on Free Movement of Persons. Following a high-level, three-day national consultation held from July 21 to 23, 2026, state officials and regional experts finalized a draft Cabinet Memorandum alongside a strategic national roadmap designed to accelerate the legislative process.
Convened by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in partnership with IGAD, the forum brought together delegates from key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) spanning migration governance, labor mobility, border management, and legal affairs. Participants engaged in rigorous reviews of the legal, policy, and institutional frameworks required to operationalize the accord.
Opening the proceedings on behalf of the IGAD Executive Secretary, Joselyn Bigirwa, IGAD’s Head of Mission to Uganda, commended the government’s enduring commitment to regional cohesion. She emphasized that expediting the ratification process is vital to unlocking the Protocol’s core pillars—namely, the rights of entry, stay, residence, establishment, and labor mobility.
“These are fundamental to promoting regional integration, peace, and shared prosperity across the IGAD region,” Bigirwa stated, while acknowledging the ongoing technical and financial backing of the European Union and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Representing the ILO, Chief Technical Advisor Ephrem Getnet described the framework as a historic milestone for regional labor markets. He noted that the initiative will facilitate safe, orderly cross-border mobility while expanding avenues for investment, skills development, and inclusive economic growth.
Addressing structural safeguards, Colonel Geoffrey Kambere, Acting Commissioner for Citizenship and Immigration Control—speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs—stressed that administrative freedom does not equate to a lack of oversight.
“Free movement does not mean the absence of regulation. It requires stronger systems that facilitate secure, orderly, and well-managed cross-border mobility while safeguarding national security,” Colonel Kambere remarked.
Solomon Kasasira, First Secretary and IGAD National Focal Point at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, added that the consultations successfully harmonized national objectives with broader continental frameworks, including Uganda Vision 2040, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and African Union Agenda 2063. The consultation concluded with the formal adoption of a roadmap slated for implementation between August 2026 and March 2027.
